Page 42 of Hard Count (Newhouse University #4)

NASH

CHRISTMAS DAY

Drew taps her fingers lightly on the stack of presents on her lap in rhythm to the holiday music playing on my car stereo.

I take her left hand and drag it into my lap.

“You have nothing to worry about. My family’s excited to finally meet you.

They’re going to love you too. I’m the one who should be worried. ”

“I’m not worried. I’m excited."

"I could have introduced you months ago at one of my games." My dad comes to all of them. Sometimes my mom joins him or one of his buddies.

"I know. Maybe we should have done that but I don't think I was ready. Parents aren't really my specialty. Why are you worried?” She rests the side of her head on the headrest.

“You’re about to be in the same room as Sydney. The two of you are bad enough with your video chats and texting.” I squeeze her hand .

“You should be nervous. We’re going to be a terror together," she teases. I don't find it funny. "It’ll be nice to see her in person again and actually say hi to her. I used to see her all the time at your high school games.”

“I forgot you had a crush on me in high school,” I tease her.

I lay her hand on my thigh so I can turn the car into my parents’ driveway. She slides her hand further up my leg. “Oh, is that what I had?” Her hand continues to move until it covers my dick. “I guess you’re right.”

I put the car in park as she strokes my cock. “Should we go in or do you need a minute?” she asks with a smirk.

“You’re so cute. I fucking love you.” I kiss her hard. “But I definitely need a minute.”

“Okay. I’ll let everyone know you need a second to decompress .” She squeezes my dick and pops a kiss on my cheek before bolting from the car.

“Drew! Wait.” I chase her down the sidewalk that leads to the front door as I readjust myself the best I can. “Don’t you dare say anything.”

“It’s just an erection. They’re very natural.” Her eyes dip to my crotch and she licks her lips. “Yours is a little obscene though. You should cover that up.” She hands me a present.

“There is nothing little about my cock,” I say, patting her ass.

We’re greeted with the delicious aroma of my mom’s baked goods and the turkey roasting in the oven when I open the front door to my childhood home .

I take all the presents from Drew and add them to the piles under the tree. The little kid in me can’t help but check to see if any of the big ones are for me. Sadly they’re for my parents which, knowing them, means it’s probably new luggage. They buy replacements almost every other year.

We remove our coats and shoes and make our way into the kitchen where it seems everyone is currently laughing and carrying on. All but my dad, he's likely in the den at the back of the house watching the game.

“Drew! Merry Christmas!” Syd screams when she spots my girl and jumps up from the table where she’s working on a gingerbread house. She pulls her into a tight embrace. “I’m so glad you’re here. She’s so pretty,” she says to me over Drew’s shoulder.

“I know. Do you want to give her some air?”

“I’ll give her back in one piece when I’m ready to. Mom, you have to meet Drew.” She escorts Drew deeper into the kitchen where my mom is whipping up something in the stand mixer.

“Sure, go ahead and do the honors,” I snark. Both girls whip their heads in my direction.

“Holy shit that was scary,” Koa says, from his seat at the table. He has a knife coated with icing in his hand.

“Tell me about it. Good to see you, bro. How’s life with your new roommate?” I ask. I haven’t seen Koa since they moved to Charlotte together last summer. "Did you ask her?" I whisper low enough the girls can't hear .

He shakes his head. "Not yet." He glances at Sydney but she's occupied talking to Drew. "I'm going to do it later tonight. Hale's putting lights in our tree while we're over here."

"I'm excited for you man."

"Thanks. And for the record." Koa sneers at me. “I’m not her roommate,” he says loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Don't look at me. I didn’t even have to pay him to say it. He did it all on his own,” she tells him. “The big guy doesn’t like that word very much,” she says, with a hand covering the side of her mouth that faces Koa.

“You’re asking for it, trouble.” He stares at her with hooded eyes.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” she singsongs back.

“Not in my kitchen kids.” My mom shoos Sydney out of the way to get closer to Drew. “It’s nice to meet you.” She pulls Drew into a hug.

“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Pierce. Merry Christmas.”

“We’ll have none of that. I’m Evelyn or Mom around here. There’s some cookies to eatand some crackers and candy to make gingerbread houses on the table. Why don’t y’all sit down.”

“Is Dad going to judge?” I ask.

“You know he will. That’s his excuse for staying out in the den watching the game. This way he can’t peek.” She rolls her eyes. “What time will your dad be here, Drew?”

“He wasn’t too far behind us when we left. Should be any minute. Are you sure you don’t want any help with the cooking?” Drew asks as her eyes take in the mess all over the kitchen counters and island.

“I appreciate the offer but I work better alone. There’s a method to all of my madness. Nash, pull out a chair for her,” she says, making Drew giggle.

“You say that as if you didn’t raise me. I was going to anyway,” I whisper in Drew’s ear. I grab a pack of graham crackers and a piece of foil covered cardboard and hand it to her before taking my own.

I move one of the bowls of icing and set it down between us. My mom makes the royal icing from scratch but likes to go with the graham cracker route to see how creative we can get with building our structure. Drew carefully opens her pack of crackers and places them on the table.

“Have you ever made one of these before?” I ask when she doesn’t move to start the assembly process.

“I made a tree with an ice cream cone once in elementary school but we never did anything like this at home.”

I find her hand under the table. As I suspected, she’s rubbing at her tattoo and messing with her bracelet.

Squeezing her hand, I say, “Anything goes. You can do whatever you want. You only get one pack of graham crackers but you can use whatever candy you want. It’s first come first serve. Any questions?”

She shakes her head. “I think I’m good.” She snaps a cracker in half and dips the edge into a bowl of icing.

“She’s going to win,” Koa grumbles. “Lauren won last year and she never made one before either. It’s always the person who’s never made one before that wins.” He lets go of his house and it collapses.

“You’re not holding it together long enough for it to set,” Sydney says. “Let me help you.”

“You can’t. That’s cheating,” I inform them. “You know the rules.”

“Sounds like you’re making the rules up as you go,” Drew says, holding the four sides of her house together. “You didn’t mention you couldn’t have help when you were explaining the rules to me. You said anything goes.” She winks at Koa and Sydney.

“I like her.” Koa points a finger at Drew. I smack it out of my face. I regret sitting by him.

“I like her too,” my mom says as she transfers the contents of a bowl into a tin-foil pan liner. It’s probably one of her many side dishes she likes to make. I hope it’s the hash brown casserole. It’s one of my favorites.

“Are you really taking their side?” I glare at Drew. "It's supposed to be me and you."

“I’m not taking anyone’s side. We’re in competition mode now.”

“I see how it’s going to be. A little tip then.” I lean toward her. “My dad judges based on creativity instead of precision.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she deadpans, easily figuring out my lie.

“Are you ready for the next playoff game?” Koa asks, concentrating way too hard on lining up his roof.

“I think so,” I answer .

“They’re ready. They’re going to win it all,” Drew says, her eyes meeting mine with confidence.

“I remember you,” my mom says. “You sat in the second row of every game with a notebook in your lap. You were always taking videos of the game. I thought you might have been part of the journalism department and writing an article for the paper. But even then you were there for Nash."

A rosy hue forms on Drew’s cheeks. “I was.”

"Thank you," my mom says with watery eyes and turns back to the stove.

When I told them about Drew and explained that she's Coach's daughter and everything she did for me, they couldn't believe it.

Coach has been a part of our lives for years and to know Drew had a hand in making it all happen felt like a miracle to them.

They were the ones who bought me Newhouse sweatshirts every year for my birthday.

They made sure I did well in school and practiced hard to make sure I got where I wanted to go.

But it was Drew who made it all happen.

“Yeah, thank you, baby,” I say low enough only she can hear me.

“I probably would have seen you, too, if I wasn't so busy trying to get this guy’s attention.” Sydney throws a thumb in Koa’s direction.

“You had it,” he replies and kisses her cheek.

Seeing them happy stirs up all the guilt I felt for keeping them apart so long. Drew’s palm touches my cheek and invites me to lean toward her face. “They’re together now. It’s like me and my dad. We can’t change the past but we can build a future. They’re building their future.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. Not only from her words but from how well she reads me. Her thumb swipes over my lip leaving a trail of icing. “Oops.” Her shoulders scrunch as she starts giggling.

I make a show of licking the icing off my lip for Drew. “Almost as sweet as you, little fox.” I cuff the back of her neck and pull her in for a kiss. Koa pretends to gag and I punch his arm. “Imagine how I feel. You’re doing that to my sister.” I shudder.

“The feeling is mutual. He used to eat worms,” Sydney says, popping a gum drop in her mouth. “I feel like this is information you need to know.”